Then there are the true artists of the atelier. Enamellers practice grand feu (« great fire ») enameling, fusing powdered glass to the dial at extreme temperatures (over 800°C) to create a flawless, vitreous surface of unparalleled depth and permanence. It is a perilous process; a single speck of dust or a minute flaw in the firing can ruin the entire piece. The result, however, is a dial of breathtaking beauty that will never fade.
Other artisans practice the art of miniature painting, depicting pastoral scenes or mythological figures with a single-hair brush. Some work with gold dust in a technique called paillonné, or create mosaics from tiny fragments of stone or feathers. Jaquet Droz and Piaget are renowned for their exquisite dials that are, in effect, miniature paintings worthy of a museum, captured forever under a sapphire crystal.
